Hotdropping

Baneblade · 2012-05-20, 12:38 PM

In PS1 hotdropping was a big deal. In the beginning, hotdropping from a Galaxy was common, but by the advent of Surgile (in part due to) pilot hotdroppers were standard fare. The question remains, how should it work in PS2?

Obviously there has to be some sort of descent control system, but do we want it to work like in PS1?

Hotdropping from a Galaxy could work a number of ways, HALO style, Paratrooper style, or even Huey Style (Vietnam).

The HALO style was what a lot of Gal hotdrops went for in PS1, flying at max altitude and vector dropping over a base, sometimes hover dropping.

Paratrooper style was a little more specialized, but largely more effective due to less warning: Galaxy would fly 'under the radar' until target zone, and then afterburn at over the drop zone. Required attention and planning to pull off effectively.

Huey style was mostly used to move troops in a secure drop zone. The Gal pilot would pick up a load at an AMS and then hover directly over the roof to drop onto it. Common for tower battles involving a protracted engagement.

Pilot hotdropping became something of a division in the community of PS1. On one side you had the elite One Man Army types who worked alone, in groups, or in conjunction with 'distracting units' as, I think it was anyway, Dreamer once put it. on the other side, you had the traditional small unit tactics proponents who saw pilot hotdropping surgiles as a bane on PS1.

Now PS2 could still go either way on this, there hasn't been much dev discussion on it.

I personally want pilot bailing limited to a damage threshold, as I liked to say for PS1:

Pilots shouldn't be allowed to bail until the bailing mechanism has a chance to fail.

Basically referring to pilot bailing having a chance to fail when a certain amount of damage is taken.

Bags · 2012-05-20, 12:46 PM

I like it in PS1 for mossie and galaxy.

Atheosim · 2012-05-20, 12:49 PM

I think that it's been stated that there will/might be a sidegrade that allows hotdropping. Of course, as a sidegrade, you would need to forgo some other valuable option.

captainkapautz · 2012-05-20, 12:54 PM

My post from the falldamage-thread is pretty much what i think about bailing.

Originally Posted by captainkapautz

I gotta admit, I think that was one of the less stellar features of PS1 (the "bailures"), BUT don't misunderstand me.
Aircraft specialized in transport/airdrop, i.e. a gal, need to have something like that.
But others do not, atleast not from the get go.

Let the pilot cert ejectionseat or whatever you wanna call it, but don't make it a standard from the get go.

Baneblade · 2012-05-20, 12:58 PM

All forms of hotdropping should follow some rules, for instance no straight down dropping as if from a stationary vehicle. If the vehicle is moving at 120 km, so should the hotdropper when 'launched'. They should slow down and eventually free fall if they have enough altitude to do so.

This would add skill to hotdroppers and dramatically the increase the chances of FUBAR, a valuable military RNG.

Raymac · 2012-05-20, 01:03 PM

I'd like to see the Galaxy hotdrop remain the way it was in PS1. It was perfect. However, I'd like to see all other planes have a differnent bailing mechanic. Like I would want the pilot to fall much more slowly making him a sitting duck after bailing. While I admit I did it myself quite a bit, I'd rather not see the fighter aircraft being used as transports and effectively replacing the Galaxy as the transport vehicle of choice. I wouldn't even be against removing bailing from the fighters altogether.

ringring · 2012-05-20, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

I like it in PS1 for mossie and galaxy.

Me too. It was simple and it worked.

Newbies could make it work too. If you remember being a lowbie gal transport and gal drops were pretty much essential for the squad with limited BR.

IMMentat · 2012-05-20, 01:16 PM

On momentum.
look at the night ops vid, even after bailing TB was alongside the still moving mossie for a good long time. Therre seems to be some degree of air control as they separated further into the fall (even with the non jetpack setup).

Rbstr · 2012-05-20, 01:29 PM

I'd like it more helicopter-style as the base case.

Fly in quick with guns blazing to clear the drop zone, have people hop out right above ground/roof and get the Galaxy out of there. Think like Starwars Ep. 2 with the clones' assault transport thingys.
Then with a cert you could do the more standard parachute-style where you jump out way above the base.

I wouldn't mind some kind of drop-pod system that was different from pilot bailing mechanics.

Red Beard · 2012-05-20, 10:15 PM

I'd like to see the Galaxy hotdrop remain the way it was in PS1. It was perfect. However, I'd like to see all other planes have a differnent bailing mechanic. Like I would want the pilot to fall much more slowly making him a sitting duck after bailing. While I admit I did it myself quite a bit, I'd rather not see the fighter aircraft being used as transports and effectively replacing the Galaxy as the transport vehicle of choice. I wouldn't even be against removing bailing from the fighters altogether.

From previous discussions, I thing the angle was allowing for bailing, but at the expense of less weaponry or something. If your vehicles cost (enough) resources, people aren't going to be jumping out of them for the hell of it anyways.

Timealude · 2012-05-21, 01:20 AM

I like the idea of a H.A.D for the drop pod side grade for the galaxy, just for the fact that drop pods if launched right were the safest way to travel.

Graywolves · 2012-05-21, 02:56 AM

I'd prefer a dropping system like in PS1 for the Galaxy.

It would be interesting if there were different bailing/dropping mechanisms for different aircraft. But I'd prefer to keep things simple.

Sabrak · 2012-05-21, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by Rbstr

I'd like it more helicopter-style as the base case.

Fly in quick with guns blazing to clear the drop zone, have people hop out right above ground/roof and get the Galaxy out of there. Think like Starwars Ep. 2 with the clones' assault transport thingys.
Then with a cert you could do the more standard parachute-style where you jump out way above the base.

Ummm... That'd be pretty interesting.

Fit the gal with more armor and weapons, but for a lower speed and the need to land or hover just above the ground for people to hop out, or let them bail out from a faster but weaker (in armor and weapons) Galaxy.

I'd like that!

Karrade · 2012-05-21, 04:43 AM

Galdrops especially in the beginning when people worked together more on mass, were some of the most fun parts of PS1. Definitely a feature to keep if ever there was one.

Incoming Galaxy!!! Was always a fun thing to be hearing over the base, especially if it was a certain group that had a rep for causing a lot of interesting things to happen

.

Mastachief · 2012-05-21, 04:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bags

I like it in PS1 for mossie and galaxy.

This pretty much, it is a type of gameplay.

Removing it or limiting it in some way will only reduce combat options and further dumb the game down.

The galaxy is not really something i like to use, in the original game i left a good outfit due to their us of it as i preferred the faster more organised use of mossy's in my current outfit.